By Jim Israel, PPTC Member www.mistergripes.com
The ‘Dream Mile’ – I certainly remember the moment: opening the New York Times sports section one May morning, this nine-year-old observes a photograph of Roger Bannister for the first time: an utterly exhausted man being propped up by other runners immediately after he had broken the 4-minute mile barrier. The feat, considered impossible by many [It was believed then that the ‘mental’ barrier to a sub-4-minute time was too much to overcome.] shocked the world.
Back then, though, this writer was intrigued by another aspect of the story: Roger Bannister was a physician, just like my father. I wondered as I read the article: my dad, and all his colleagues, it seemed, worked insane hours; patient care was the absolute priority above everything else in their lives. If Bannister was indeed a doctor, how on earth did he manage to accomplish that feat?
In fact, Roger Bannister did run that sub-4-minute mile despite an unwavering dedication to medicine. Just examine his daily schedule: a 24-year-old intern at a London hospital, Dr. Bannister was in charge of a 40-patient ward, taking patient histories, writing up notes during lectures, initiating and completing independent-study experiments on the potential of human physiognomy, serving as secretary of the Medical Society, maintaining a social life that included nights out with friends drinking and debating art and politics, and even acting in an Oscar Wilde play.
Training? At lunch, he took the Underground two stops to a quarter-mile track, changed into his running gear, and basically ran fartleks for 35 minutes: short sprints, interspersed with longer runs. All jammed into barely a half-an-hour, and then back to the hospital. No time even for warm-ups.
And, for the longest stretch, he did all this by himself. No coach, not even a stopwatch, it’s claimed.
Much like the contest going on then between Russia and the US to launch a satellite into space, Roger Bannister was competing in a global contest with two other milers to break four minutes: Wes Santee, running for the University of Kansas, and John Landy, an Australian, who was to become one of the great milers of all time. All three, fully cognizant of each other, were aiming for immortality. The urgency to break the mile record was not lost on any of the three.
Dr. Bannister had competed in the Helsinki Olympics of 1952, finishing a devastating fourth in the 1500-meter event. Ridiculed in the press – he was the favorite – Dr. Bannister began training in earnest, running longer distances on cricket fields near his family’s home on weekends. His fitness improved dramatically, and his times in successive mile races began to improve.
On May 2 1953, Dr. Bannister ran a 4:03:06, his best time by over 4 seconds, and a new British record. The British press, elated, began to view Bannister as the man who could break the record. Edmund Hilary’s expedition to climb Mount Everest occurred at this time as well. Sir Hilary’s Everest ascent and Bannister’s efforts to break the mile barrier, the press concluded, were proof the British Empire was not going to fade away just yet.
And, after that race, Roger Bannister finally hired a coach; he was Franz Stampfl, who emigrated from Austria prior to World War II and was, in fact, detained by the British during the war because of his Germanic origins. At an initial get-acquainted meeting, Mr. Stampfl recommended that Mr. Bannister step up his training. Bannister protested, insisting his hospital schedule was too arduous; Mr. Stampfl, a man of few words, replied, “Do both.”
With increases in quarter-mile sprints and overall mileage along with inspirational talks by his coach, Bannister quickly improved his times. In late 1953, he ran a 4:02 mile; he and Stampfl sensed that the time had come to take up the challenge once and for all.
The venue was selected: at an Oxford University track meet, on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister was going to attempt to break four minutes for a mile. Astounding as it seems, Dr. Bannister worked at the hospital that morning, and took an afternoon train to Oxford for a 6 pm start. 1,200, mostly students, were on hand to watch. There were two ‘rabbits’ – runners who participated for the sole purpose of assuring that Bannister maintain pre-determined quarter-mile times – in the race, each one focusing on specific laps.
First lap: Bannister in 57.5, with him and his rabbits already well ahead of the field.
Half-mile [2 laps]: 1:58
Three laps: 3:00:04… The small crowd now stood, clapping, voices raised into an uproar.
At 1,500 meters, his face drained of color and contorted by effort, Bannister had a time of 3:43, a world record time. Fifty yards from the finish, he was exhausted completely, but forced himself on. At the finish, his legs buckled as he collapsed.
The time was announced over a loudspeaker: “Number Forty-One, R.G. Bannister, of the Amateur Athletic Association…with a time that is a new meet and track record.
“The time is THREE….” As soon as ‘three’ is pronounced, nothing else is heard. The cheering was too loud and raucous. Sir Roger Bannister, who, in this writer’s opinion, should be lauded as a magnificent example of the amateur athlete and a man who refused to compromise on a full and meaningful life, had run a 3:59:04 mile. Now 81 and still practicing medicine, he became an immortal on that cool May evening 56 years ago.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Great Running Feats… The 4-Minute Mile
Friday, September 24, 2010
NYC Marathon Activities
*** WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS ***
Saturday, September 4, 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010 THE INSIDE LOOP TOM BYRNES and FRIENDS
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Half-Marathon Wrap Up by Geoffrey Vincent
Friday, August 20, 2010
What you do not know because you are not me! Michael Ring The Spartan Race
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Runners for the Ages
Runners for the Ages
Jim Israel, PPTC member
www.mistergripes.com
For this writer, the concept of a ‘marathon’ took hold during the Olympic Games in Rome, 1960. Before that event, a marathon competition seemed to this observer a sport for crazies – who on Earth could possibly run 26 miles, or, for that matter, who the hell would want to? No one sane, that’s for sure. Yeah, I knew the story of a Greek warrior running that distance to forewarn his Athenian countrymen of an impending attack by marauders, dropping dead after reaching his destination. I didn’t believe that tale for a minute; in fact, I’ve always wondered why didn’t Pheidippides saunter over to a rental counter at one of Ben Hur’s franchise-stores, Rent-a-Chariot, yoke the vehicle to a couple of speedy steeds, and hightail it back home much more quickly, with no threat to life and limb? The story doesn’t add up.
But enough of my musings.
In 1960, an Ethiopian unheralded and unknown, with no history whatsoever on the track-and-field international circuit, not only ran away from all his competition, winning easily, he completed the entire course in bare feet, in a race that occurred at night to avoid the intense summer heat of Rome.
We’ll start at the beginning: born a shepherd’s son in the hills outside of Addis Ababa, Abebe Bikila did not take up marathon training until the age of 24 [four years prior to the Rome Games]. No one in the track-and-field community had any inkling as to Mr. Bikila’s prowess prior to the marathon start. One European coach months earlier had read in a running magazine of a marathoner who ran a 2:24 race in Eithiopia, but he dismissed the report: no one can run that fast in the desert, he reasoned.
Mr. Bikila, in fact, was a last-minute replacement when the originally selected Ethiopian marathoner broke his ankle in a soccer match. He arrived in Rome without a suitable pair of running shoes. Adidas, the shoe sponsor for the Games, had only a few pairs left, none of which fit Mr. Bikila comfortably. No big deal: Abebe Bikila decided, on the spot, to run barefoot.
Gordon MacKenzie, an American in the race, recalled looking down the starting line at Mr. Bikila [The race began and ended at The Arch of Constantine, just outside the Coliseum.], and saying to himself, “He’s barefoot? That’s one guy I don’t have to worry about.”
The race, begun at dusk as nightfall beckoned, was compelling, indeed. Not so much for the nature of the competition: Mr. Bikila led virtually from the start, never relinquishing his lead, and finished in 2:15:16, a new Olympic record at the time. Dramatic, though, was the scene: a half-moon aglow, soldiers holding torches 10 yards apart from each other, block after block, strobe lights used in filming the race highlighted Mr. Bikila’s relentless pounding along the route and his indomitable will to win, running over the centuries-old streets of ancient Rome in darkness. Mr. MacKenzie, himself despairing of the potholes and cobblestones, remembered hearing the ‘pat-pat-pat-pat’ staccato sound of someone’s bare feet hitting the streets.
There’s an iconic image of Mr. Bikila approaching the finish line, a thousand photo flash bulbs going off, the Arch of Constantine lit up, and the huge Coliseum as a backdrop. It’s breathtaking.
Abebe Bikila’s heroics did not cease with Rome. Four years later, 40 days after suffering an attack of acute appendicitis and having his appendix removed, he won the Olympics marathon again, this time in Tokyo. And, he set a world record, 2:12:11. For that race, alas, he weakened, and ran in running shoes [Pumas, in fact].
Lest we forget, too, Abebe Bikila was the first African to win a gold medal in an Olympian track event. Every one of the African runners who has competed and won in subsequent years – including all those Kenyans – must have been inspired by the diminutive, barefoot marathoner from Ethiopia who, emerging from essentially a desolate butt end of the earth, defeated all those high-and-mighty European colonialists in the capital of what once was the most powerful empire in history.
Comments? They’re always welcome, pro or con…. jamesisrael77@yahoo.com:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
August 2010 THE INSIDE LOOP TOM BYRNES and FRIENDS
August 2010
THE INSIDE LOOP
TOM BYRNES and FRIENDS
PPTC had six finishers at the Pepper Martin 5 on
Lots of PPTC Group conversation on the PPTC Open Forum in July about our club’s efforts with printing and distributing Park User Safety Cards, using PPTC funds, for at least the past two years but few police and Park Personnel seem to deal with the enforcement of the rules. To many of us, this is similar to the issue with the law about using cell phones while driving. Paul Soskind put it not so mildly when he wrote that without teeth so to speak there will always be accidents in our park because most people do not possess a strong enough sense of justice to obey rules unless fear of consequences hangs like the Sword of Demosceles over their "it's about ME" heads! Biking in the park requires one to be hyper vigilant. Heads up out there!
Sad news. James J. BUCKLEY passed away on July 16, 2010. James was the proprietor of Buckley's Restaurant on
David R Chen psyched to compete in the 2011 Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival. Sure hope that David and teammates delayed the
PPTC’s Patti Perlo along with other animal activists and local residents attended the vigil condemning the gassing death of over 250 Canadian Geese in
The NYRRC Queens Half Marathon sure seemed to be a ‘’hot’ race, pun intended. Congrats to PPTC runners who gave the 13.1 miles their best shot on such a hot day!. PPTC times in the Race Results section. Great to read Robert Elkin‘s piece on PPTC’s Will Abrahms after his performance. Abrams covered the 13.1 mile course in 1:28.17 for second place in the 50-54 age bracket and overall placed 46th in a field of 4996 entrants. As Elkin indicated, Will trains in
Bobby Fisher and Team Doherty, Clair and Danny, all biked the Harlem Valley River Ride the end of July. With the heat and the hills, an admirable feat!
On July 31, 2010, the Central Park Track Club hosted a 5k race in our very own
Great to learn that Michael Ring is back. “1,250 horizontal miles and 1.25 vertical,” he says. Now for ten points, the first question on the pop quiz is "where did he go?" Just in time to direct another 5k summer speed race too!
A sign of the times as summer passes. Rosemary and Piet Bezuidenhout’s daughter Nikolien pondering her choice of school uniforms and would seem to prefer colors of her own choosing. Now if you ask
Check out the glorious changes to the PPTC.ORG site if you haven’t been there lately. New pics of some of the usual suspects and the opportunity to order PPTC garb on- line ! Get thee to the website if you haven’t been there in a while.
Congrats to Geoff Vincent on his qualifying for the XTERRA Trail Running USA National Championship in
"Yes,
Monday, August 2, 2010
Yea! Group Runs! (Update)
Three bloggers blogged about our group run on Saturday July 31.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Check out our own Will Abrams in Caribbean Life
Abrams looks ahead to marathon
William Abrams at 53 years of age is still going strong and turned in a decent performance during the Queens Half Marathon held on Saturday, July 24 at a new site, Flushing Meadow Corona Park.
Abrams covered the 13.1 mile course in 1:28.17 for second place in his 50-54 age bracket, received a trophy, and overall placed 46th in a field of 4996 entrants, Some of the original entrants did not show up because of the humidity and heat, which slowed the times down. His best time for a half marathon was 1:07 in Guyana in 1987.
A member of the Prospect Park Track Club and a resident of Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant area, Abrams originally came from Guyana. He is believed to be the first Caribbean to cross the finish line in the huge field of the Queens event last week.
“I’m happy to represent the Caribbean,” he said after the race that was held along the streets of nearby College Point. “It’s very humid.”
Abrams and the rest of the entrants ran on what he considered a ‘nice’ but ‘tricky’ course.
“Tricky because of the hot humid weather,” said Abrams, who ran on this course for his first time. “And because it’s new, we didn’t know where we were going. We had to be cautious because we didn’t know what else we were going to catch up into.”
Abrams trains to enjoy life and to do such a thing one has to be in be healthy.
“I chose to run to be fit,” added Abrams, who trains in Prospect Park twice a day - 10 miles in the morning and 10 miles in the afternoon.
Abrams will be competing in the Bronx Half Marathon in mid-August, followed by the Staten Island Half, and then the New York City Marathon in November. His best New York City marathon clocking is 2:54.
“It’s very joyful to compete in a marathon,” he said. “My goal is to run a 2:45 for the New York City Marathon.”
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Michael Dixon of Fanwood, New Jersey, captured the Queens Half Marathon in 1:14.0.Most of the entrants came from the tri-state area.
The race was conducted by the New York Road Runners Club, headquartered in Manhattan. The College Point Road Runners Club also helped to make this 13.1 mile event a tremendous success.
“We had a great crowd and the runners competed in hot weather,” said a spokesman for the race committee. “Last year there were 65 turns in College Point.Every thing here in Flushing Meadow Park was just great.”
Monday, July 19, 2010
Only one required that I go to a doctor to get some peace of mind
Book Review: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
By Kate George
Perhaps his writing style is too conversational for my taste and his "metaphors" are certainly too literal. Nevertheless, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, is a wonderful book! It's helter-skelter sequencing and repetitive passages are like running itself. Isn't running always the same and always different? Don't runs always seem to meld together yet feel distinctive? I don't think Murakami is deep enough to have intended the book's structure to so closely parallel the experience of running but he accomplished it. It is a book that only a runner could understand.
Murakami's memoir made me reflect on my own running history. When I started seriously running in January of 2009 I wasn't registered for a race or on a team. I had no special clothing and very old shoes. Why did I hit the icy roads morning after morning before dawn? The streets called to me. They did! I would head out and one foot after another I would just lose myself. But at the same time I became more fully aware of myself than ever before- every muscle, every tendon, every heart beat, every breath. My mind emptied but when I returned home that awareness lingered. Sure, I was aware of sore muscles throughout the day especially after a particularly long or hard run. But it was more than that. As I learned to strengthen my muscles and control my breath, things that seemed impossible, like running ten miles, became easy. I was teaching myself control and the courage to press on through difficulties. This idea began to permeate other aspects of my life and things that I'd never noticed began to come into focus. Running taught me to see possibilities I'd never considered.
Murakami spends quite a bit of time talking about what running taught him about writing. It is of special interest to me because I am a runner who enjoys writing, though I am not a writer. The role of talent in an endeavor like writing is a subject that has always intrigued me. How much talent do you need? The question is difficult to answer because talent can't be measured, doled out as we please, saved, or multiplied. Murakami argues that although talent is important it is useless without FOCUS and ENDURANCE. Running taught him both things and made it possible for him to continue a long career as a writer. I agree with the assessment because running has helped me develop my own focus and endurance in writing, reading, problem-solving, and quilting. None of these things are accomplished easily or quickly. Writers have a saying, "Push through the hard parts...and they're all hard parts". Running long distances is the just the same: You run until you can't anymore...and then you run some more.
What I talk about When I talk about Running is a quick read for the season but it will stay with you long after the Summer turns to Fall.
I resumed training (judiciously) in the spring of 2009
After a 10+ year hiatus from running, I resumed training (judiciously) in the spring of 2009. By July I was feeling confident enough to enter the last two Al Goldstein 5Ks and was overjoyed to finish the first at a sub 10 minute pace and knock another 45 seconds per mile off the second race. It was such a great feeling to rejoin the running community that I immediately sent in my dues to both the PPTC and the NYRRC. Besides, I thought I could serve as a role model for slightly younger running fathers (and mothers) of twins who had attended PS 321 in Park Slope!
I kept going and was approaching 10K by Thanksgiving. Then my right knee started to hurt, a lot, more and more, and not just when I ran. I got a fancy knee brace and started icing regularly but soon I was spending more time treating the pain than actually running. I finally dragged myself to an orthopedist who delivered the bad news: torn cartilage. I could do physical therapy, stop running and probably walk around relatively pain free. Or, if I wanted to resume running, it was time to get my knee "scoped" and clean out the gunk. I might lose the summer, but I could be running again by the fall.
So that's why I'm sitting here today, July 14, six hours after the procedure, with my leg up, wrapped in an ice pack, hurting like hell but expecting that, after 4 to 6 weeks of rehab, I'm be back doing my laps of Prospect Park just in time for some beautiful fall running. And I'll still be able to beat my 16-year-old twins! Lucky for me, their 19-year-old brother will be back at college because I don't stand a chance against him anymore.
Monday, July 12, 2010
More of What You Do Not Know Because You Are Not Me! By Michael Ring
More of What You Do Not Know Because You Are Not Me! By Michael Ring
On a Friday morning I woke up early and did the run I often do on a Saturday morning. Starting at
Since I left the house at 6 am instead of the usual 8 am I did not think automobile traffic would be an issue. I was wrong about that; rush hour was starting when I was running home.
The one major obstacle faced on my run was the people. Just as I was running towards the
"Sure, but then I have to tell you that I am not a jogger." He wanted to know why he can run for 45 minutes on a treadmill but he can't really run outdoors for 5 minutes. So, I explained that on a treadmill you are just spinning your legs, you are not making the effort to move your body forward, that running on a treadmill is like running down stairs. The treadmill is softer than any outdoor running surface and it is probably in a nice air conditioned gym. I told him that unless you set the treadmill at a serious incline, it is mostly a waste of time.
I saw the light bulb go off in his head. In under a minute I was able to teach this man something, "So why can't I call you a jogger?"
"My grandmother was a jogger; it was about the jogging suit and running in circles. Runners are training for events; events where someone says "GO!" and there is a clock at the end. I am a runner. Joggers jog, runners train."
The commuters had all gotten on the subway so he wished me luck on my next race
Club Team Championship August 7!
Club Team Championship August 7!
Where does the time go? Here it is, time to make plans to flaunt your colors and be a part of the NYRR Club Team Championships in Central Park on Saturday, August 7tht, the annual five miler where local teams show off their team pride. The start time for men is 8 a.m. and for women, 9 a.m. It is a double points race in the competition for a position on the leader board among local clubs throughout the five boroughs.
A word of caution, especially for new members who are unfamiliar with the Club Team Championships: this race is for everyone. As an inclusive Club, our strength and pride is in our numbers and we want to have lots of members showing up to run, to cheer, to smile for the team picture. There will be the PPTC after-race buffet of light refreshments and a chance to talk running. Look for the banner. We are usually on the left side of the 102nd St. transverse on the east side of the park. However, the course has not been announced so we are keeping our options open. More information as it becomes available.
If you are driving to the race and have room in your back seat or trunk for food or supplies, please call the Club phone or send an email to contact@pptc.org. You know the old saw – many hands. . .etc., etc.
Here are some more details from the NYRR website:
Only members of established and NYRR-recognized running teams (that’s us!) may enter this race; NYRR membership by itself is not enough to qualify. In addition, entrants must have completed at least one NYRR scored/qualifying race between January 1 and August 7, 2010 for the team for which they will be scoring. Furthermore, if they have competed for another team, you may not have competed for that team until 90 days have lapsed,
Teams for the NYRR Team Championships are comprised of:
• Open: 10 men/5 women (scored by time)
• 40+: 5 men/3 women (scored by time)
• 50+: 3 men/3 women (scored by time)
• 60+: 3 men/3 women (scored by time)
Note: there are no shirts or other souvenirs for this race.
Post Race
Awards will be given in team categories (see above). The only individual award will be the “Nacho” award in memory of José Ignacio Ramirez, given to the first male and female masters finishers.
JULY 2010 THE INSIDE LOOP TOM BYRNES AND FRIENDS
JULY 2010 THE INSIDE LOOP TOM BYRNES AND FRIENDS
Let’s keep Carole Rondinelli and family in our prayers upon the recent death of her dad Anthony. He had a good run and we hope that the fond memories of times past will be a comfort for Carole and Ron Rice.
Tommy Hart is trying to get his timing down. He’s waiting until after his Fort Hamilton Summer 5ks are over late August, the Utica Boilermaker races are history, and his stock of running magazines are all lined up before he gets his knee replacement op late summer. Good luck Tommy!
PPTC scrambles, sets up the clock, and manages to make it happen grass roots style. Not that large of a turnout the very wet nite of the second Summer Speed Series 5k thanks to the rain but those who came, ran, and conquered. When the going gets tough, the tough get up and go home? Those who stay, run and race.
Glad to read that Jason Horowitz is shaking things up a bit, changing his approach to training as well as tweaking his carb and protein intakes. The proof for Jason will be down the road when he finishes that fall half marathon he’s planning to race.
Lovely to hear that Irene Torres’s family reunion went so very well. With over 110 Tiernans turning out at Holy Name’s Shepherd’s Hall on a Saturday mid-June, the best of times were had by all.
Need a new couch because you slammed the armrest so hard during the USA-Slovenia Wolrd Cup Soccer game that it broke? Happens to many of us. Hey, put it on Craigs List along with the used running shoes that you have stored away in your closet.
Bobby Fisher’s completed his 10th Century on the Ride To Montauk Saturday June 19th. He’s ’s also completed a recent tour through northern
Speaking of PPTCers who bike , both Gillant Phillips and Doug Olney have had recent up close and personal experiences with the pavement. Both are on the mend but both realize that while biking one has to be hyper vigilant about the condition of the roadway surface and drivers who aren’t paying attention to sharing the road .
PPTC was all over the roads at the NYRRC’s Mini with Maggie DesChamps leading the fast feet. Check the race results for the glorious details! Many thanks to PPTC’s Maria K Green and PPTC friends Asteria Howard and Maria Arias for volunteering with USADA and drug testing at this NYRRC in
Geoffrey Vincent’s first place finish in age at the XTERRA LI Trail Series race in Montauk was the clincher - now he can start planning his trip to the National Championships in
Following extensive research and consideration, USA Triathlon announced today that beginning in 2013 the use of wetsuits exceeding five millimeters in thickness will not be permitted at USAT-sanctioned events. Anyone with a 5mm thick wetsuit still interested in still looking like characters from the “Pillsbury Dough Boy Meets The Teletubbies” can still do so but not in a USAT sanctioned triathlon.
PPTC’s David Chen bringing home the hardware from Dragon Boat races in July . Way to go David!
Big congratulations to Sarah Scott for winning the Kona, Hawaii Half Marathon Sunday, July 27th!
The photo of Sarah wearing a PPTC singlet holding her hardware on the awards podium with the race director and
Sure it’s hot and yah, it’s humid too. Now stop complaining and get out there and run some. See you on the roads.
It Took 30 Years, But It Was Worth It! By Tom Meany
It Took 30 Years, But It Was Worth It!
By Tom Meany
PPTC has been engaged in dialogue with the
Our premise has always been that if Park users do not perceive their experience as being safe, then it’s not a good experience.
On Wednesday evening June 23rd, PPTC was asked to present the main agenda item at the Prospect Park Alliance Community Committee meeting; “Development of a Master Plan for Education and Enforcement of Park Rules.”
This was the first time all uniformed Park service personnel (Parks Enforcement Personnel: PEPs, NYPD: 78th & 71st. Pct.’s) were asked to be part of a team in developing a Park safety plan.
All of us have had the experience of witnessing the results of cyclists and/or runners/pedestrians not being aware of or just not complying with Park rules. I’ve been hit three times by cyclists; my wife has been hit twice.
To not address these issues would have been immoral and unethical. We have been knocking on this door for 30 years and now it appears we have a foothold.
An Alliance Community Committee Operations Committee meeting is being scheduled this month to include the uniformed Parks personnel, representatives of the cycling community; Transportation Alternatives (TA), plus representation from the running community; PPTC, to develop a Master Plan.
The preliminary discussion at the 6/23 meeting indicated a need for an ongoing, long term civic educational approach, starting with elementary school children, regarding the rules of the road. It was also agreed that after a period of education and warnings, that enforcement, in the form of ticketing needs to take place.
We all know why the pooper scooper law, as well as the smoking ban in public buildings, has been so effective: violators are ticketed & fined.
I envision the main thrust of our role as one of educating the public and not seeking to punish cyclists or runners/pedestrians. At a fairly recent Club Board meeting, one of our Board members suggested I ask the
I believe our patience and perseverance will pay off in the long run.
We have a great Club that only gets better when you step up and volunteer. I promise your membership will be a more enriching experience when you respond to that arm reaching around you that says; “You’re very special and we need your help? Share your special gifts: The Summer Speed Series, The Club Championship,
Thursday, July 1, 2010
What You Do Not Know Because You Are Not Me!
What You Do Not Know Because You Are Not Me!
There are two things you don’t know, and both of them have to do with the PPTC Picnic/Relay Race. The first you might know if you are a member of the PPTC Board. We had to make a quick “executive decision”.
It turns out that the Oriental Pavilion was double booked for the morning of the Relay Race and that when I arrived Tom had already negotiated a sharing of the space with the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. But as a Board we realized this would not work, their wedding was to be at 11am, just when the relay was to end. We decided we would move our Picnic; we would move it to the shady area of grass that was a little closer to the ice rink. Not because the reprehensive from alliance was begging us to, not because we were gonna get our $25.00 permit fee back, but because a bride and groom were involved. They should not have deal with a bunch of sweaty runners, chugging down Gatorade and beers. We just moved because it was the right thing to do.
It is nice not to be selfish. Years from now we might look back and say “Oh, do you remember the picnic in 2010; we had to move because there was a wedding in our spot. That is much better that some couple looking at their wedding pictures in 20 years and seeing us in the background.
Anyway… They moved, they moved to are really nice spot near the statue of Abraham Lincoln. That turned out great because just as the Bride was walking down the aisle the Brazilian Dancers/Kick boxers were doing their tambourine dance right next to the Oriental Pavilion.
The other thing you might not know because you are not me is what it is like to get beat by your 10 year old daughter. It is a combination of enormous pride and nauseating embarrassment. I am so proud of her, but this was not supposed to happen for a few more years. I was not mentally prepared. I guess one never is.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Interview with Irva: Niles by Paul Soskind
Interview with Irva:
P.S:.You've been PPTC member for about three years: were we your intro to running?
P.S:. So what kind of running did you do in high school?
Posts
